Lonely No More
by MorePotter
Summary: Ginevra Weasley had never been lonely. Until now. But one day, that would all change because of a chance encounter in Diagon Alley.
1. Chapter 1

**Hey Guys! This is my first fanfiction ever! Here it goes…**

...

**Lonely No More**

For the first time in her life, Ginevra Weasley felt lonely.

Her whole life, she had been surrounded by friends and family almost every day, but now they all had lives of their own, with new people.

Harry was with Hannah. Hannah was a very sweet Hufflepuff girl who had been in his year at Hogwarts. Ginny was very happy for Harry, and although at the beginning of Harry and Hannah's relationship she had been quite jealous, for she had still had some feelings left for him, she had managed to open her eyes and see that they were in love, and no amount of jealousy was about to stop that.

Ron had Lavender, who had, thankfully, become quite down-to-earth over the years, and was no longer the rude, boy-crazy girly girl that she was in school.

Crazily enough, Hermione had somehow ended up with no other than Charles Weasley. On a short leave from work after the Final Battle, Charlie had stayed at the Burrow, where he had grown very close to Hermione. After he had left for Romania again, Hermione didn't know if she should go back to Ron or not. When Ron had re-kindled his relationship with Lavender, she was driven straight into Charlie's open arms.

Bill had Fleur, George had Katie, Fred had Angelina, Percy had Audrey, for Merlin's sake, even Luna had found someone!

When word got out that Luna Lovegood and Draco Malfoy were an item, the wizarding world was in an uproar. Thankfully, the couple had ignored each and every comment made about them and had gotten through with few problems. Although… It had taken Ginny quite some time to approve of her best friend's choice of a man…and a bit longer to get her to stop calling him a ferret.

But now, Ginny just felt as though she wasn't remembered.

Well she did, at least until she met an old school friend in Diagon Alley.

...

**So what did you think? This will NOT be a One-Shot. I will try to update as soon as I can with Chapter 2! Review Please! **


	2. Chapter 2

Here we go with chapter two!

…

"Mum! I'm going to Diagon Alley! Need anything?" Ginny called up the stairs.

"No thank you dear." Was all Molly replied.

The now 22 year old Ginny sighed and walked over to the fireplace and grabbed some Floo Powder. Ever since Ron had moved out of the Burrow, It had just been Ginny, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, and the quite occasional guest. Since Percy and Audrey had left yesterday from their week-long visit, Mrs. Weasley had been a bit down because she did always love having all kinds of people around.

_Yeah, but at least she knows that everyone who visits is coming for her and Dad. No one comes just to see me. _Ginny thought sadly.

She then threw down the Floo Powder and yelled "Diagon Alley!"

…

Ginny had now been walking for over an hour now and she had only bought one thing. For someone else. When she had walked into Flourish and Blotts to see if she could find Hermione a birthday present (Hermione had been busy on her own birthday in September, so The Weasleys had planned a party for her in October) she was surprised to see a First Edition of Hogwarts: A History, or in other words, Hermione's favourite book. She had seen two middle aged men, probably collectors, quickly walking over to the bookshelf where it was displayed.

_Oh No! Wait… I'm much faster than them… I'll just swoop in and grab it before they can! _Ginny thought with a maniacal grin, which earned her a few scared looks.

She bolted over to the bookcase and grabbed it just in time. She sped off to the cashier, paid, and got out of the store quickly, for she did not want to face the wrath of two collectors. She had learnt that from Hermione, when Fred and George had stolen her copy of A History of Magic. Those two had been sneezing out bubbles for two weeks.

Ginny shivered. Partly from the thought of this, and partly from the chilly October air.

_Bloody Hell, I forgot a jacket! _Ginny thought.

Ginny hadn't checked the temperature before she had left, but she was quickly regretting it. She had only worn a thin, long sleeved shirt and some jeans, plus a light scarf. She tied the scarf a little tighter, and went into the first store that she saw, which was unfortunately, Eeylops Owl Emporium.

_Just my luck, _Ginny mused. _They're getting a new shipment of owls in!_

After about five minutes, Ginny couldn't handle the non-stop squawking anymore, so she left and hurried down the street to find another place. She then saw Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour.

_It must be a bit warm in there. _She thought, without remembering that the Ice Cream Parlour was pretty much the coldest place in Diagon Alley. She walked in and came out about a minute later, shivering even more then she had before.

_How stupid am I? It's an Ice Cream Parlour for Merlin's sake! Of course it will be colder in there! Great now I'm even colder than before. _Ginny almost said out loud, but then she realized that there were other people around, so she thought it instead.

She quickly walked down the street, in search of another warm place. She was so busy looking around for stores, she didn't see the person she walked straight into.

"Oof!" She and the person she walked into exclaimed. They both tumbled to the ground, he landing on his back and Ginny landing on her stomach, straight on top of him.

"I am so sorry!" Ginny said apologetically. "I wasn't looking! I am so sor-"

"Ginny? Is that you?" this caught her attention. She finally looked down at the person who she was still on top of and she gasped.

"Dean?"

…

Yay! This chapter is done. I'll try to update again soon. Please review!


	3. Chapter 3

**Hello again! Many thanks to ****aasiya333**** for giving me my FIRST review! Thanks!** ** Chapter three here we go…**

…

"Ginny!" Dean yelled and pulled her into a big hug, which was a little awkward considering that they were lying on the floor, but was still close enough to make Ginny get butterflies in her stomach.

_Wow…haven't felt that in a while… _Ginny thought to herself, but quickly shook it off before he could notice.

"Dean!" She then exclaimed happily, throwing her arms around his neck.

"Merlin, Ginny! It's you! Wow, I haven't seen you since my seventh year! How are you? How is your family? Is everyone alright? Did Ron ever find a girlfriend? What are you doing nowadays? Why aren't you wearing a sweater? We should go somewhere to catch up!" Dean said, all in one breath, much to Ginny's surprise and amusement.

"Dean, Dean! Slow down! To answer your questions, Good, Good, Yes, Yes, Not much, and I am not wearing a sweater because I didn't think that it was going to be this bloody cold! Oh and I'd love to." Ginny replied.

"Great! And sorry Gin, I'm just so excited to see someone from my Hogwarts days!" Dean said, and then pulled her into another hug before standing up. Everyone who walked by glanced at the couple questioningly, but kept walking, so as not to stare.

Dean held out a hand which Ginny took and he easily pulled her off of the ground, a little too fast actually, because he pulled her right into his chest. With their chests now pressed together, their eyes met and the feeling was back in Ginny's stomach. Little did she know, dean felt the same way.

"Err…why don't we go get a butterbeer or something?" Dean asked softly.

"Sounds good to me. How about the Three Broomsticks? There shouldn't be any students there yet, the next Hogsmeade weekend shouldn't be until later this month." She breathed back.

"Sounds Fun!" Dean said enthusiastically, trying to break the silence between him and the redhead.

Due to the many people in Diagon Alley that day, they were forced to move a little, for they were blocking the entrance to the Magical Menagerie. Ginny took Dean's arm when he offered, and they apparated to The Three Broomsticks.

…

George Weasley was standing on the balcony of his and his twin brother Fred's flat, above the Diagon Alley location of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, watching his sister Ginny's and Dean Thomas's interactions, just down the alley.

"Interesting Developments… Fred! Come here!" George bellowed to his brother who was just inside.

"What is going… oh." Fred finished lamely as he stared at Ginny and Dean, who were now hugging.

"Well that was" Fred started.

"Interesting." George finished.

Fred and George both decided that they wouldn't let Ron know that Ginny and Dean had… reconnected that day, for fear of Dean being murdered by one Mr. Ronald Billius Weasley.

…

**Alright there was chapter three! Sorry, I try to update every day; I'll get into a schedule eventually. Thanks for reading! Please Review!**


	4. Chapter 4

**I am soooo sorry that I haven't been updating every day! I try, but I've been really busy. I have finally found time to write chapter four, so here it is…**

…

Ginny and Dean arrived just outside The Three Broomsticks with a sharp crack.

Dean walked ahead, opened the door and with an exaggerated bow, and exclaimed "Ladies First, Madame."

Ginny giggled, curtseyed, and said "Why thank you, Sir."

She walked through the door with Dean following close behind and found a table near the window. She sat down and Dean went to get them both a drink. When he came back he carried two firewhiskeys in his hands.

"Dean! I thought you said we were going out for a butterbeer!" Ginny said, trying to hold in a laugh.

"Don't pretend that you actually would have preferred butterbeer, my dear." He said with a wink.

"Alright, alright, you've caught me." She mumbled while taking the offered drink from his hand.

The silence from Diagon Alley returned as they stared into each other's eyes.

Err…so… What did you mean when you said you were excited to see someone from your Hogwarts days? Haven't you seen anyone?" Ginny inquired.

"Well not really. Other than Seamus, but he doesn't really count. Besides, he's really busy, what with Aly and all." He answered.

"Aly? Who's that?" Ginny remembered the name from somewhere, but couldn't put a face to it.

"Oh, Aly is Shay's girlfriend. They've been going out for about a year now. She's actually one of Hermione and Charlie's friends from the reserve, another healer, like Hermione. Actually, 'Mione's the one who introduced them. You've met her, remember? At Hermione's 22nd birthday party, at the Burrow. That's where she introduced her to Shay actually. Sorry, now I'm rambling…" Dean explained.

"Oh, her! The pretty blonde one… wait. _Seamus _got a girl like _Aly_? That's crazy!" Ginny exclaimed.

"I know right? But Shay loves her, and she loves him too…for whatever reason. Ahh, Love is blind I guess." Dean joked.

Ginny and Dean laughed and finished off their Firewhiskeys.

"Would you like another Ginny? Or we could go look around Hogsmeade a bit, it hasn't really changed since the war." Dean asked.

"I don't think a little look around would hurt." Ginny replied.

For the next two hours, Ginny and Dean had a blast exploring Hogsmeade. Pretty much everything was the same. Honeydukes, The Stationary Store, The Post Office, The Hog's Head. Really, the only thing that was different was that instead of Zonko's, there was a Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, which Ginny knew was run by Verity.

When Ginny realized that she had to get home since Hermione's party was starting in an hour, she told Dean that she would see him later, and gave him a light kiss on his cheek, thanking him for the wonderful time.

Ginny left in a hurry, so she didn't see that Dean stood there for another ten minutes, his fingers touching the exact spot on his cheek where she had kissed him, smiling like a buffoon.

…

**What do you think? I'll try to update as soon as I can. If you have an idea for the story, it would be much appreciated. Review please!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey everyone! I am really sorry for not updating in the past week! I'll just have to try to update more next week. I am going to write longer chapters from now on (Thank you, aasiya333, for requesting that I did.) Just so you know, no one really died in this story. Sirius, Remus, Tonks, Fred, Mad-Eye, and others who I may have forgotten to mention are still alive and well in this fic. Oh, why am I still talking, you came to read Chapter 5! **

…

It was 4:53 PM at The Burrow. Hermione's party would start in seven minutes. The very though of it made Ginny excited. Yes, she was very happy that one of her best friend was turning 23, but she was happier that a certain dark-skinned Gryffindor was going to be at the event.

Ginny's musings were interrupted by a voice shouting out her name.

"Ginny? _Ginny!_ Where are you? We need your help to set up the tent!" Ron's voice called out.

As Ginny raced down the stairs, she wondered how thick Ron had to be to leave putting up the tent until 5 minutes before the party. As she started to walk out the door, she noticed that there were emerald coloured flames shooting out of the fireplace.

_Oh no! It can't be Hermione… we don't even have the tent up yet! Besides Charlie always makes them late!_ Ginny thought in a panic.

Out of the flames came Dean, with specks of soot all over his face.

"Hello? Anyone? It's Dean, sorry I'm early, but- Oof!" dean exclaimed, only to be cut off by a bear hug from Ginny.

"Dean!" She exclaimed, her voice muffled as it was buried in his chest.

"Hey Gin! Long time no see eh?"

They both started laughing and pulled away from each other. Just in time really, for about 5 seconds later, Ron came bursting through the door.

"Gin? Where are you? I said we need your- DEAN! How are you mate?" Ron yelled in excitement as he rushed over to Dean and gave him a hug.

"I'm fine Ron, how about you? I heard that you've finally found yourself a girl!" Dean said.

Ron blushed and mumbled yes. He quickly recovered and started talking.

"So Dean, how would you like to help us pitch the tent for the party, _before_ anyone else gets here?" Ron asked.

"I would love to Ron." He said and quickly walked out into the backyard. He knew that Ron was very impatient, and didn't like to be kept waiting.

…

It was now 5:07, and the Burrow was packed. The only people missing were Seamus and Aly, and they had said they were going to be about ten minutes late anyways.

Ginny walked around and marvelled at how many people the Burrow's small backyard could hold at one time. There must have been over 30 people here, as both family _and_ friends were invited to attend these sorts of celebrations. As Ginny walked through the living room, she noticed some emerald flames starting to appear in the fireplace. Soon, a very sooty Seamus and Aly stepped through the fire. Aly was just as she remembered. She was a lovely Australian girl. She had a pretty, oval-shaped face, framed with long, golden blonde hair that was streaked with hot pink. But that wasn't what made you look at her twice. Aly's eyes were a mixture of dark purple and pink. Ginny had yet to ask why, but they were quite beautiful. Apart from that she was a very caring and kind person. She could see why Seamus was so in love with her.

"Oi! Everyone! Seamus and Aly are here!" Ginny called out before greeting them.

Soon enough, everyone was rushing into the living room to greet Seamus and Aly. Through the crowd she saw Dean walk in, right behind Lupin, Tonks, and Teddy. Once Dean got to the front of the room, he gave Seamus a pat on the back and Aly a hug. As Dean was the last to greet them, he told them he would see them outside, and then went to stand next to Ginny. Seamus gave her a questioning look, but then grabbed Aly's hand and pulled her into the backyard.

"Come on, let's go outside!" Ginny said excitedly.

She then dragged Dean out of the house and they sat down at one of the tables so they could wait for dinner to start.

…

Now that dinner was over, it was time for cake and dessert. Right after dinner, Hermione and Charlie had disappeared. As they left, Ginny noted that they had gone in the direction of the orchard, but she couldn't be sure. Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen, putting the finishing touches on the cake.

"Ron, could you go get Hermione and Charlie? I think they're in the orchard." Ginny asked her brother.

"What? And find them eating each other's faces? No way. Not again." Ron scoffed.

Ginny was then reminded of how last summer Ron had walked in on them snogging in the living room. Oh, how she had laughed…

"Well, if they are…Err…doing that…then just apologize!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh yeah. Sorry for interrupting your 'Who can choke the other with their tongue first contest', but the cake's ready!" Ron said with a grimace on his face just thinking about it.

Ginny fought back a laugh. "Ron! It's just _kissing._ Don't you and Lavender ever-"

"Don't you and Lavender ever _what _Ginny?" Lavender asked curiously as she skipped up to where Ron and Ginny stood.

"Nothing Lav. Let's go sit." Ron said quietly, trying to hide his blush from his little sister as he took his girlfriends hand and walked back to the table.

"Guess I have to go and get them myself…" Ginny mumbled to herself.

"Get who Gin? I'll come." A voice asked from behind her.

She turned around to see that it was Dean speaking.

"Oh, just to get 'Mione and Charlie. The cake is almost done." Ginny answered.

"Alright, let's go! Your brothers are probably going to die of hunger soon."

She turned to see what he was looking at and saw all of her brothers- minus Charlie, of course- staring at their, somehow, grumbling stomachs, while their partners gave them annoyed looks.

Ginny grabbed Dean's arm and dragged him in the direction of the orchard. Once there, they saw Charlie and Hermione sitting on top of a hill. Hermione's head rested on his shoulder, and Charlie's head was on top of hers. Their arms were around each other, and since the sun was setting and they were facing it, you could only see their outlines. It was one of the most beautiful things that Ginny had ever seen.

Dean let out a long, low whistle and said. "Now _that_ is what I call a Kodak moment. They're really in love aren't they?"

"Yeah, they are… and what?" Ginny asked, confused.

"Oh, sorry, muggle saying." Dean explained, while pulling out what Ginny recognized as a camera out of his pocket and snapping a picture of them.

"Why are you taking their picture?" Ginny asked.

"Well, I think I'll paint and frame it later, and save it to give to them as an eventual wedding present." Dean said.

"Wow…that's a really good idea!" Ginny exclaimed.

"Thanks! Now what should we do? I don't want to disturb them." Dean asked gently.

"I have the perfect solution to this problem. You may want to cover your ears, Dean." Ginny suggested, with a maniacal grin.

Dean, immediately figuring out what she was about to do, put a silencing charm on the orchard, so no one at The Burrow would think anything was wrong, and covered his ears quickly.

Ginny then let out a blood curdling scream, startling Hermione and Charlie, who were so surprised that they let out shrieks and tumbled down the hill, one after the other. When they reached the bottom they both immediately stood up, pulling out their wands, searching for the source of the noise. When they saw Ginny and Dean, they gave them each a look that said _I'm going to kill you now_, Ginny and Dean bolted towards The Burrow. With Hermione and Charlie quickly gaining on them, they quickly apparated themselves the rest of the way. Laughing, they sprinted to their seats, Hermione and Charlie arriving just in time for the cake and presents. Hermione sent Ginny a dirty look and sat down to blow out the candles. Everyone clapped and cheered.

Ginny was soon forgiven though, Hermione opened Ginny's present and a look of pure joy lit up her face. Charlie turned to Ginny and rolled his eyes, but quickly looked back at Hermione, as he loved seeing her happy. Plus, she was to open his gift next. In the end, the only gift that really beat Ginny's was Charlie's. He had created a spell and had named it after her. _Hermione Liber Moderator*_, it was called. It was quite interesting, really. What you did was picture what you wanted a book you were reading to do. You could make it read aloud, save the page, turn a page, take itself off of a shelf, put itself back, the possibilities were endless. For Hermione, anyways.

"Blimey, Charlie really thinks of everything, doesn't he?" Dean whispered into Ginny's ear.

Ginny shivered slightly, and said. "Yeah, he does."

Soon, everyone was making toasts to the birthday girl. As Harry sat down after his toast, Draco stood up, clinking his wine glass with some cutlery. Luna followed his example, standing beside him.

"Excuse me, but me and Luna have an announcement to make. We-" Draco started.

"Were getting married." Luna interrupted, in a voice that was slightly happier than her usual tone, although it still sounded as though she were talking about something as simple as the weather.

Immediately, all of the people in the backyard cheered and went to congratulate the now-engaged couple.

…

After dessert, most of the people left. It was now just the Weasleys, Harry, Hermione, Fleur, Katie, Angelina, Audrey, Dean, Seamus, Aly, Luna, and Draco. All of the women were fawning over Luna's engagement ring, which was beautiful, a large diamond in the middle, and yellow, turquoise, and pink gems covering the white gold band. Obviously, it was custom made, as none of them had ever seen a ring that fit Luna's personality so perfectly.

Soon enough, it was well past midnight, and almost everyone was asleep at the Burrow. Since everyone who was there after Luna and Draco's announcement was staying the night, it was pretty cramped. Dean and Ginny were the last ones awake downstairs, and even she fell asleep quickly. Dean then carried her up the stairs and put her in her bed, in the room that she, Hermione and Aly were sharing. He pushed the hair off of her forehead and kissed it.

"Goodnight, Ginny." He murmured, and walked out of the room, shutting the door quietly.

Aly peeked out from under her blankets and whispered. "Oh my god. I have _got _to tell Shay!"

…

_*Hermione Liber Moderator _is the closest Latin Translation to Hermione Book Controller.

…

**So what did you think of this chapter? Any suggestions? Let me know! Review please!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hello again! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner. I would like to give many thanks to aasiya333 for continuing to be my faithful reviewer. I really appreciate it. Now, without further ado, I present Chapter 6. **

…

The morning after Hermione's party was a rather quiet one. Charlie, Hermione, Harry, Hannah, Fred, George, Percy, Angelina, Katie, Audrey, Draco and Luna had all left early, in the morning so it was just Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Ginny, Bill, Fleur, Ron, Lavender, Dean, Aly, and Seamus. Ginny was just walking down the stairs to get to breakfast when she saw a peculiar sight in the living room. Seamus and Aly were whispering hurriedly into each other's ears, almost as if they were afraid to get caught. They noticed her walking down the stairs and each of them turned, giving her a wink, and walked off, looking very devious.

"Oh no, they're _definitely_ up to something." Ginny mumbled to herself.

"Who's up to what Gin?" A voice asked from behind her.

Ginny turned to see Dean's face in close proximity with hers. Although surprised that he was there, she did not back away, nor did he.

"Oh, just Shay and Aly, looking as devious as always." Ginny explained.

Dean nodded, still looking a bit confused. He started walking down the stairs again and Ginny followed. They sat down at the breakfast table, next to each other. They immediately launched into a discussion about which Canadian Quidditch team was better, the Moose Jaw Meteorites, or the Haileybury Hammers. Lavender gave a knowing look, Aly smirked, and Fleur looked downright happy. The three of them thought that Ginny and Dean were perfect for each other… even if _they_ didn't realize it yet. Lavender then looked at Ron, prepared to see him looking confused, but turned to see him in blissful oblivion, with his mouth filled with toast.

But soon enough, Ginny was alone again. With just her, her mother and her father in the Burrow now, she was quite lonely. Mrs. Weasley had already cleaned up the mess in the Kitchen, so there was nothing left to do. Ginny walked in and out of the rooms of the Burrow, until she ended up in the room that Ron, Dean, and Seamus had been sharing. She walked around the room and sat down on one of the beds. Immediately, she stood up, as she had noticed that she sat on something hard. She turned and found a sketchbook.

_Oh, Dean must have left this here. _Ginny mused.

She sat back on the bed with the sketchbook in her hands. She flipped it open and looked through the drawings.

_Merlin he's good… I wish I could draw like this…Wait a minute. Is that…Me?_ Ginny thought as she flipped onto a page that had an incredibly realistic portrait of a girl who looked _exactly_ like her.

Ginny wondered if it was her and then realized if she had to return the book anyways, why not just ask him herself?

She practically flew down the stairs, telling her mother what she was doing as she passed the kitchen, then ran to the fireplace and took the Floo to Dean's flat.

When she appeared there she stepped into the living room and looked around at the beautiful paintings that almost covered the entire wall.

_I bet Dean painted all of these._ She thought before she turned straight into another person.

"Hey Gin! Err…What are you doing here? Not that it upsets me or anything, but I saw you 2 hours ago." The person who she now realized was Dean asked.

"Oh, sorry, it's just that you forgot your sketchbook at the Burrow, and I came to return it to you. And I wanted to ask you something too." Ginny said.

"Oh! Thank You Gin! I've been looking all over for that! I thought I'd lost it!" Dean exclaimed.

"No Problem Dean. But while I'm here I'd like to ask you about a drawing in the book…Why is there a picture of me in there Dean?" Ginny asked curiously.

Dean looked a bit nervous, but he answered all the same.

"When I can't sleep, I go and draw the first thing that pops into my head. I guess it sort of calms me down. And last night I guess you were the first thing that came to mind…" Dean finished awkwardly.

"Oh, alright then." Ginny said.

They didn't speak for quite a few moments, and it was rather awkward.

"So…Err…would you like to go for lunch? The Leaky Cauldron? My treat." Dean asked.

"Sure!' Ginny replied enthusiastically while taking his arm to apparate, just glad that the awkward moment was forgotten.

…

Many Hours later, the two returned to Dean's flat, slightly tipsy and very tired. Instead of just lunch, they had spent the entire afternoon and evening together, exploring muggle London. As Dean was a muggle-born, he had experienced most things that muggles had to offer, but Ginny was fascinated. The Films, The Stores, The Food, she was shocked by how well they got by without magic. Of course, Hermione had told her about many of these things, but seeing them was completely different.

"Thank You Dean! That was great!" Ginny exclaimed, giving him a tight hug.

"No Problem Gin. Now, we'd better be getting you home… but are we in any state to get there without being splinched? And my Floo's down. Oh, no! How are you going to get home?" Dean asked worriedly.

"Dean, relax! Aly lives in this building right? I'll go and stay with her." Ginny said. "I'll send my patronus over now and ask."

Ginny then summoned her patronus and gave it the message, and soon the horse trotted out through the wall. Moments later, a giraffe came walking through the same wall the horse left through, telling her it was fine, which flat number she was in, and that she could come over whenever.

"Alright then Dean, this is goodbye for today then. See you." Ginny said, sounding a bit sad.

"Ok. Bye Gin." Dean murmured as she leaned up to kiss him on the cheek.

Accidentally, Dean chose that exact moment to turn his head slightly, so instead of the middle of his cheek, Ginny ended up placing the kiss quite close to the corner of his lips. After noticing this, Ginny pulled away, blushing and mumbled another Goodnight, closing the door behind her.

And for the second time that week, Dean touched his cheek gingerly, and smiled rather stupidly.

…

**So, what did you think? Like it? Love it? Hate it? Have any suggestions? Let me know, Reviews make my day! I'll update as soon as I finish the next chapter, which will hopefully be in the next few days!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey there readers! I am really really reeaaaalllyyy sorry that I didn't update sooner, I know that it's unacceptable, but with school and everything, I've been super busy! I have a tiny little note, in chapter 6, its Katie's apartment, not Aly's, and she also sent her mom a patronus letting her know of her plans. I tried to put those corrections in, but my computer is giving me trouble and won't let me fix it. Just letting you guys know so there won't be any confusion in this chapter. Before I start, I would like to give many thanks to aasiya333 for reviewing on all of my past chapters! And another thanks to SJMuggle for the lovely review. Now on with Chapter 7…**

…

As Ginny walked down the stairs, she thought about what had just happened.

_Oh. My. God. I almost _kissed _him! Dean! Was that as awkward for him as it was for me?_ She thought hurriedly.

She looked around. 1398, 1399, 1400… Soon enough, flat number 1406 came into her view. She knocked on the door, and was greeted almost immediately by a tall blonde girl greeting her.

"So? What happened? Why are you here? Were you with Dean?" The girl asked so fast that Ginny could barely understand what she was saying.

"Oh, well…Nothing happened…I'm here because I was out with Dean and we had a few drinks…I'm not really in a state to be apparating or flooing. Can I stay the night here? Please?" Ginny asked nicely.

"Sure Ginny, you're quite welcome to." Katie replied, seeming to have calmed down a bit after Ginny had answered all of her questions.

"Thank you." Said Ginny.

"Hold on a second Gin, I just need to make the spare bed. Shouldn't take too long." Katie smiled at her as she said this.

Ginny mumbled in agreement and nodded, exhausted from the days events. Katie walked down the short hallway to the spare room and gave a small flick of her wand, clearing the space of its clutter, and making the bed. Now happy with the appearance, she skipped down the hall to Ginny.

"Alright, the room is ready for you Gin, follow me!" Katie chirped.

_How is she so upbeat at this hour?_ Ginny mused as she glanced at her wristwatch, which read 11:43.

"Here you are, if you need anything I'm in this room." Katie said, pointing to the door across the short hallway. "Oh, how could I forget? You need some pyjamas! I'll be right back." Katie exclaimed as she opened the other door and went inside. Ginny could hear some drawers opening and closing and the ruffling of clothes as Katie went on a search for the sleepwear.

"Here you go!" Katie proclaimed, passing Ginny a set of bright pink and turquoise striped pyjamas as she exited the room. "Nighty night Gin!" Katie said, gently pushing Ginny into her spare room.

"Night Katie." Ginny murmured as the blonde girl closed the door behind her.

Ginny quickly changed into the pyjamas, performed a cleaning charm in her mouth, for she hadn't brought a toothbrush, then turned off the light and hopped into bed. Getting herself comfortable, she sighed, and fell asleep almost right away, to be greeted by dreams of one Dean Thomas.

…

The next morning, Ginny woke up in an unfamiliar bed. She looked around, confused, but then she remembered where she was and let out a sigh of relief. She got up slowly, and then walked down the hallway to Katie's kitchen, to find her standing there with a cup of tea.

"Morning Gin, would you like a cup?" Katie asked, pointing to the kettle.

"Sure Katie, that'd be lovely." Ginny replied.

Katie walked over to the kettle, pulled out a mug, and poured some of the hot water into it. Ginny went and picked up the box of different teas that Katie had and chose her favourite, Lemon and Ginger. She pulled out the tea bag and plopped it into her mug, stirring and pressing it with a small spoon that Katie had handed her.

"Toast and jam alright?" Katie asked. "I'm running low on all else, I need to stop by the market later today."

"Of course, toast sounds great, thank you." Ginny returned.

"Mind grabbing the jam? It's in that cupboard over there." Katie asked, pointing to the cupboard closest to her fridge as she put two slices of bread into the toaster.

"Sure." Ginny said as she walked over to the cupboard and pulled a few jars out.

In a few minutes, their small breakfast was ready. The two girls sat down at the kitchen table, and started putting jam on their toast while talking.

"Oh Gin, I almost forgot, your brother is coming over at about 12:30, you may want to leave before that, I'm sure he'll ask questions about why you're here. Unless you want him to know that you have a thing for Dean, which-" Katie was cut off by Ginny coughing, choking on her toast.

After clearing her throat, Ginny exclaimed "I most _definitely _do _not _have a thing for Dean! We're only friends!"

"Whatever floats your boat Gin, whatever floats your boat." Katie said with a smirk. As they were both done, she pulled out her wand and levitated the dirty dishes towards the sink, dropping them in gently.

"You'd better get changed, its 12:10. George should be here soon." Katie said.

"Alright, thanks Katie." Ginny said, still a bit shocked at Katie's earlier words.

Ginny walked back to the room in which she had slept in, changed into the clothes she had worn the day before and performed another cleaning charm on her mouth. She folded and put the pyjamas on the bed and walked back to the kitchen. Giving Katie a hug and thanking her for letting her stay the night, she apparated out of the flat.

…

Ginny arrived at the Burrow and as it was around lunchtime, she was shocked to see that there was no one in the kitchen. She noticed that there was a note on the counter so she walked to it and saw that it was addressed to her. She opened and read it.

_Dearest Ginny, _

_Your father and I have been invited to go out to lunch today with Fleur's parents. I'm sorry for the short notice but they're only going to be in England for a few days, and they wanted us to show them Diagon Alley, they said they were quite fascinated by the idea of there being a wizarding area so closely connected with a muggle one. There isn't much in the fridge right now, but Luna was over with her father and Draco earlier and they said that they would be happy to have you over for lunch. We will most likely be back before dinner. _

_Love,_

_Mom._

Ginny sighed as she read the letter, happy to know that her parents hadn't been kidnapped or something like that, as the reason would have to be quite important if it were to get Molly Weasley out of the kitchen at mealtime.

Ginny went over to the fireplace and grabbed some Floo powder out of the ceramic pot that was kept on the mantle. She stepped inside and yelled out "The Lovegood's!" and the green flames grew.

…

**So, what did you think? Any suggestions? I apologize again for not updating sooner, I promise I'll try to update again as soon as I can! Please leave me a review; I'd love to know what you think! **


	8. Chapter 8

**Hello again my dearest readers! I'm so sorry for not updating sooner, I've had really bad writer's block lately, but I've finally sat myself down at the computer and come up with chapter ideas! And we all know what that means…time to update this story! ;) Again, I apologize profusely for not updating in…what has it been….5 months? :S Oh, and be warned, I couldn't help but add a little bit of Druna into this chapter, they're just too cute XD And also, before I begin, I'd like to give a HUUGEEEE thank you to aasiya333, SJMuggle, and Hannah-Kiwii for reviewing! I really appreciate it guys, your reviews always brighten my day! So here we go with Chapter 8, enjoy!**

…

Ginny landed with an "oomph" as she tumbled out of the Lovegood's fireplace.

_Never really got the hang of flooing…_ She thought to herself as she stood up and dusted herself off.

"Hello? Luna? Are you in here?" Ginny called out.

Hearing no reply, Ginny walked into the kitchen, and noticed that Draco's bag was sitting on one of the kitchen chairs.

_They must be around here somewhere _Ginny thought, before hearing voices coming in from outside.

Ginny walked over to the open window and peered outside. Luna and Draco were out in the garden, Luna was knee deep in the dirt as she tended to her flowers, and Draco stood beside her and looked down at his fiancée with what Ginny could only describe as a look of pure adoration on his face. Though Luna prattled on and on about how she needed to water her dirigible plums every day or they would start to wilt, and that would attract Blibbering Humdingers, which would not be good for the rest of the plants in her garden, Draco stood faithfully by her side, nodding and murmuring "Yes, sweetheart" or "Of course darling" when needed.

_I wish I could have something like that with someone…like Dean…wait, what? _Ginny was surprised that this thought even crossed her mind. _Sure, I used to have feelings for him, but it has been so many years since we dated_. _And that was only to make Harry jealous, right? _

A confused Ginny pushed her thoughts away and tried to reassure herself that she wasn't falling for Dean again as she walked out to where Luna and Draco were. By the time Ginny stepped out the back door, she noticed that Luna and Draco were both standing up and admiring the garden.

Luna and Draco were completely oblivious to the fact that Ginny was standing almost right behind them, so she decided to give them a bit of a scare. Ginny pulled out her wand and muttered _Aguamenti_ under her breath. A large spout of water then shot out of her wand, soaking the very pale, very blond couple. Draco let out a yell as the cold water reached them, but Luna did not let out a peep. The couple turned around, Draco with a shocked expression on his face.

"Oh hello there Ginny, I was wondering when you would be over." Luna said in her usual dreamy tone, seemingly unfazed by Ginny's surprise attack.

"What…you…water…huh?" Draco uncharacteristically stuttered out, still trying to figure out what had just happened.

Luna and Ginny laughed as they started walking back to the house, Luna grabbing Draco's hand and pulling him along behind her.

"Would you like some tea while we wait? I'm sure Dean will be here-" Luna started after she and Draco had performed drying charms on themselves, but was soon cut off by Ginny.

"Dean? Why did you invite him? My Mum didn't say anything about Dean being here!" Ginny squeaked.

"Oh, well we just invited him over, he, Draco and I were talking earlier, we ran into each other at Diagon Alley, and Dean wasn't doing anything today so we decided to invite him over for lunch with us. Daddy had to go out, and we have enough here for four people, so-" Luna tried, but she was again interrupted by Ginny.

"Oh no, no, no, no, no, this is not good, not good…" Ginny mumbled.

"What's wrong Gin, got a problem with Dean? Or maybe somebody has a little crush?" Draco teased, smirking when he received a glare from the fiery red-head.

"Now, I'll have you know, Draco, that I-" Ginny was cut off by the familiar sharp crack of apparition.

Hello? Luna? Draco? I'm here!" Dean's deep voice called out as he walked in from the sitting room to the kitchen, where his friends stood.

"Oh there you guys are, I was wondering where you were!" Dean said as he walked in going to stand in front of Ginny, Draco and Luna.

"Hello Dean! I was wondering when you would get here, I was starting to worry that you had come across a Heliopath!" Luna exclaimed as she went to give her friend a welcoming hug.

Ginny stood still, thoughts of what had happened the previous night flooding through her mind.

_Does he not remember what happened last night? Maybe he just didn't notice…yeah, that's probably it, I'm just overreacting…that's all…_Ginny mused, and eventually pulling herself out of her own thoughts she looked up to see Dean staring at her curiously.

"Oh, hey Gin! Are you alright? You seem to be a bit out of sorts." Dean said, while stepping closer to her and enveloping her in a friendly hug.

_Yeah, I suppose I'm just making a big deal about what was really nothing. _Ginny though as she finally reached her arms up and returned his hug with a light squeeze.

"Alright, so what do you two want to do today?" Luna asked dreamily as she strolled over to Draco and held his hand.

"I was thinking maybe we could go and get lunch at the Leaky Cauldron? It's not the best place, but you lot seem to really enjoy it, so…" Draco wrinkled his nose as he said this, but eventually laughed at the eye-rolling that Ginny and Dean aimed in his direction.

"That sounds wonderful, let's apparate!" Luna said.

In a few seconds Luna and Draco disappeared with a sharp _Crack!_ Dean then put his arm around Ginny's waist and followed right after Luna and Draco to the Leaky Cauldron.

...

The two landed quickly into the front entrance of the restaurant/inn to see the golden blonde head of their friend Hannah standing by the _Please seat yourself_ sign, scribbling furiously onto a pad of paper.

Dean quickly took his hand off of Ginny's hip when he noticed that he hadn't retracted his arm yet, earning a blush from the shorter, ginger-haired girl.

"Ooh…he's going to get it…" Hannah mumbled to herself, not noticing that Ginny and Dean were standing right in front of her.

"Who's going to get it, Hannah?" Ginny asked gently, noticing that her friend didn't seem to be in a very good mood.

"Huh? Oh, hello there, sorry guys, I didn't notice you were there…" Hanna said in an angry tone.

"You alright Hannah? You seem a bit…mad…" Dean said.

"Mad? No, no, I'm not mad…okay maybe a bit, Harry went out _two hours_ ago to pick up some groceries for the Saturday dinner rush, but he just called me on the..err…telly-phone that he got me for my birthday last year…is that what it's called? A telly-phone? Oh well anyways, he said that he got caught by a bunch of his little fan-girls at the store and was only able to leave now…I mean the sheer _nerve_ of those girls! He said that it was nothing big, but I've seen them in action before, ugh! I mean he _has a girlfriend_ for Merlin's sake, but do they care? No! If I ever get my hands on them I'll…" Hannah went on, as Ginny and Dean looked at each other, both slightly amused and frightened at the same time by Hannah's slightly awkward but threatening ramblings.

Soon the sharp _Crack!_ of apparation rang out in the front hall of the Leaky Cauldron as Harry appeared holding grocery bags and looking a bit dishevelled. He put the bags on the ground before he looked up at them.

"Hello love, oh and hello Gin, Hey Dean, how are-" Harry started as he pushed his glasses up to the bridge of his nose but he cut off when he noticed Hannah's frown and glare.

"Sweetheart, I'm sorry that I got caught up for so long, but I got everything you asked for! Don't be angry…" Harry said, oblivious to the real reason why Hannah was mad.

Dean and Ginny left their friends to go into the dining area, leaving Harry to further explain himself to his less than happy girlfriend.

"Poor chap, Hannah doesn't seem to be letting him off easy…" Dean said, looking back at the front hall, where Hannah seemed to be giving a desperate Harry the silent treatment.

Ginny and Dean sat down beside each other at the table where they found Draco and Luna, the sitting couple's gray eyes flashing up at the approaching pair, not questioning why they had taken so long, before looking back to their menus, trying not to eavesdrop on Harry and Hannah. After a while, the front hall quieted, and the four friends seated at the table dared to look up, only to see a now smiling Hannah walk over to her boyfriend, whisper something in his ear, and give him a peck on the cheek, before she picked up a few of the grocery bags and walked into the kitchen, followed by a stumbling and blushing Harry who carried the rest. Soon enough, a Quick-Quotes Quill and a notepad floated over, ready to take their orders.

"Shepherd's Pie, please." Ginny said.

"Same." Dean ordered.

"I'll have the Cornish Pasty, thank you." Said Draco.

"Pea Soup, please." Luna said, seemingly unaware of the shocked faces of her friends.

"Erm…Luna, dear, you know that the pea soup isn't exactly…_edible_…why would you order it?" Draco inquired.

"Oh, I know, but it's such a lovely conversational partner!" Luna mused.

"Alright then…Oh, right! I forgot, I have something for the both of you." Draco exclaimed as he pulled two envelopes out of his pocket and slid each of them across the table. "My parents have organized a ball in celebration of mine and Luna's engagement, and these are your invitations."

"That sounds lovely! When is it?" Ginny asked.

"That's the thing…it's tomorrow. My parents wanted to hold it as soon as possible, because we're getting the ballroom re-done in three days." Draco mumbled sheepishly, knowing that Ginny's temper would flare at the news.

"_Tomorrow?! _You're throwing an engagement ball _tomorrow_ and you didn't _tell_ anyone?" Ginny screeched.

"Well, we did tell everyone, you two are just the last ones that we had to give the invitations to." Luna said calmly. "I really do hope you can attend, we were going to ask the both of you to be in the wedding party after this."

"A bridesmaid? Oh, Luna, I'd love to! But I don't have a dress or anything…" Ginny squealed, forgetting her anger already.

"We're in Diagon Alley, we can always go shopping after we finish lunch." Luna said, Ginny instantly agreeing.

"_Me_? You want _me_ to be in your wedding party?" Dean asked.

"Of course, the both of you are our close friends and we need you to be there. We've figured out all of the partners, too. Harry with Hannah, Ron with Lavender, Seamus with Hermione, and you two." Draco explained, sending a wink in Ginny's direction as he said her name to let her know he'd paired them on purpose.

"Alright, sounds good to me. How about you, Gin?" Asked Dean, turning to face the red-headed girl.

"Sounds great to me!" Ginny said, throwing a glare to Draco, who was smirking at her as if he knew something that she didn't.

_This should be fun…_Ginny thought, as their food arrived at the table.

…

**Phew, I'm finally done this chapter! Ooh, Draco has a plan...we'll find out what it is next chapter! If anyone has a suggestion or anything that they'd like to see (or read, I suppose), please, feel free to let me know! I've also been thinking, should I do a chapter that's more Dean-centric? What do you think? I'll try toupdate as soon as possible, okay? Please review and tell me what you thought of the chapter too, it really makes my day!**


	9. Chapter 9

**Oh my gosh, I haven't updated in over a year. my greatest apologies to all of you! I would've gotten this up way sooner, but a lot has happened in this past year and I hope you understand. Anyways, I'm going to try to get another update out by November at the latest (more apologies to the lot of you if I can't). Many thanks to aasiya333 and Hannah-Kiwii for your lovely reviews! Oh, and thank you all for bearing with me! Now, on with chapter 9!**

...

After finishing their meals and thanking Hannah and Harry, the four friends walked out into the cobblestone streets of Diagon Alley.

"Erm, Luna...where exactly are we supposed to find me a dress that will be ready for tomorrow? Madame Malkin's is always so busy..." Ginny trailed off, starting to worry about her outfit for the upcoming ball.

Instead of Luna, Draco replied with a scoff. "Madame Malkin's? You would never find anything suitable to wear to a Malfoy ball in _that_ place. We'll be taking a look in_ Twilfitt and Tatting_, much better selection."

"Twilfitt and Tatting?! Everything there is so expensi-" Ginny tried, but was cut off by Draco.

`Don't fret Ginevra dear, the owner knows my family well. I'm sure she'll be willing to give you a very good discount once she sees that _I'm_ with you." He smirked, always happy to talk about his family's importance.

Ginny looked over at Dean, who was walking beside her. He looked at Draco and back to Ginny, shrugging as if to say _some things never change._

"Oh look, here we are." Luna said as they approached the highly fashionable display in the window of Twilfitt and Tatting.

Ginny looked at the long, silk robe on one of the mannequins in the display, astounded at the quality of the clothing in this store. She herself had never been inside before, as the clothing was much too expensive for her family's budget. Hoping that the money she had saved from Christmas and her last birthday would be enough, she walked through the door that Dean held open for her.

_Wow._ Ginny mused. The clothes in this place looked _really_ expensive. Classical music played from somewhere within the store as she turned her head and scanned the long, shimmering dresses that seemed to be in every colour imaginable, before looking over to the classy suit jackets and ties hanging on the opposite walls. _I hate to admit it, but Draco was right._

"Draco, darling! How's your mother doing?" A drawling voice spoke, startling Ginny out of her reverie.

A tall, slim woman walked up to the group, going straight to Draco and kissing his cheeks. Her dark hair was pulled back into a loose bun and she seemed to be in her early 50`s, Ginny assumed, due to the graying strands left around her face and the slight crinkles around her mouth and eyes.

"She's fine, Matilda, and you?" Draco replied, walking further into the store and taking a look at a golden coloured gown that reminded Ginny of the dress she had worn as a bridesmaid to Bill and Fleur`s wedding.

"I'm great, thank you dear." The woman, Matilda, spoke back. "Ah, you've brought some friends with you! Is this the lovely Luna that I heard about from your parents?" She gestured to the blonde girl who had taken interest in the flowered hair decorations next to the dresses.

"Yes, it is." Draco smiled at his fiancée, who seemed to be unaware that she was being spoken about. "But the four of us are here to find a dress for our friend Ginny" he gestured to the redhead "to wear to tomorrow's ball. Sorry for the short notice." Draco didn't sound all that sorry, Ginny noticed, but Matilda grinned nonetheless.

"Ah of course! Come here darling, let me take your measurements and I'll pull some outfits for you to try on." Matilda said as she gently pulled Ginny over to a pedestal behind the racks of dresses. Draco walked over to where Luna was standing and Dean took a seat on one of the armchairs by the dressing room, next to where Ginny now stood. He smiled at her as Matilda flicked her wand, making a measuring tape float over to where she stood.

Ginny felt her heart skip a beat when she saw Dean's smile. _This is going to be a long afternoon._ She thought as she raised her arms so that the tape could tighten around her waist.

...

After Matilda had gotten Ginny's measurements, she had scurried off to get some dresses that would suit Ginny's "lovely red hair". She had picked out three, all variations of a floor length gown. A burnt orange one with cap sleeves, a forest green one with longer lace sleeves, and the last was burgundy and strapless.

Ginny had asked about the prices of the gowns first, and surprisingly, none of them were out of her budget, so Matilda must've included the discounts firsthand. As much as she hated to admit it, Draco _could_ be sort of useful at times.

The burnt orange and burgundy ones were nice, but as she tried on the green dress and looked at herself in the dressing room mirror, Ginny found that it was her favourite by far. She stepped out of the dressing room for the third time and spun.

"I like this one!" She exclaimed, looking down at the trim of her long dress, surprised at how good she felt in it. She wasn't usually one for dresses.

"Go with that one, it covers all of the freckles on your arms." Draco snickered, earning a glare from Ginny.

"I think the colour looks lovely." Luna said with a dreamy smile.

"Yeah, that one looks really nice Ginny." Dean chimed in, smiling at her again.

"Thanks! I'm going to go with this one." Ginny smiled as she turned to face Matilda.

"Very good choice, my dear, I was hoping you would choose that one. It looks wonderful on you!" The older woman stated.

Happy with her decision, Ginny walked back into the dressing room to change.

...

The group walked out of the store after thanking Matilda again, who would be attending the ball the following evening as well. They wandered around the other stores for a while, merely window shopping.

Later on as she looked at her watch, Ginny noticed that it was already six in the afternoon.

"That took a long time! What, about four hours?" Ginny exclaimed, time had gone by a lot faster than she thought it would.

"Time flies when you're having fun, you know." Luna piped up from behind her. "I do believe that it's time we all went home now, would you all like to come back to my house for dinner?"

Remembering the note her mother left her, Ginny realized that she should probably go back to the Burrow to show her parents the dress she had gotten.

"I'd love to, Luna, but I should probably head back and show my Mum the dress. Make sure she likes it and all." Ginny smiled, knowing that her mother would, in fact, love it, simply because she'd get to see something so ladylike on her daughter.

"I should get back too, I've got to make sure my suit's clean for tomorrow. I'll see you all then, okay?" Dean said as he gave a friendly hug to both Luna and Ginny, and gave Draco a nod before he apparated away.

Taking Dean's lead, Ginny hugged Luna, but proceeded to give Draco a sneer. In the friendliest way possible, of course.

"I'll see you two tomorrow evening!" Ginny called out, before feeling the familiar pull of apparition squeezing at her, taking her back home.

...

**Ugh. So, I'm sort of happy with this chapter? It seems kind of rushed, but that might just be me XD Anyways, please review and tell me what you think about this chapter, it really makes my day to hear your feedback! **


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